This Week's Second Show (Feb. 17, 2005)

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HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Can the gospel readings during Lent be done in dialogue form?
  • Does God love the devil?
  • Do diocesan priests have to take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience?
  • Should Gentiles pay more attention to the writings of Paul than other authors?
  • Did anybody get into heaven prior to the Resurrection of Christ?
  • Religious Ed director said it’s very hard for anyone to commit mortal sin.
  • Daughter’s friend killed himself. Can he be saved? (Also: I make a special prayer request for caller’s husband, who is quite sick.)
  • A Protestant caller asks why the pope doesn’t resign (and is quite pleased with the answer).
  • If medicine can be used to affect the course of nature, why can’t contraception? Why can’t people in the third world use contraception to control overpopulation?
  • What does it mean to unite our sufferings with those of Christ?

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."

One thought on “This Week's Second Show (Feb. 17, 2005)”

  1. Really good answer on why the pope doesn’t resign. I’ll have to remember that as I’ve been asked that a couple of times too.

    Another thing I would mention (and this probably came from listening to you) is that if popes did start to resign, there would be pressure to set mandatory retirement ages and/or term limits. Knowing exactly when a pope will step down would be a bad thing because it would encourage political machinations and “campaigning” by would be popes and opposing factions of the Church (I don’t think we want the papal elections to turn into the American presidential elections). Every pope would then in a sense be a “lame duck” and this would discourage obedience to him.

    Also, what if certain groups within the Church really don’t like a “new pope” and remain loyal to the “old pope”, who is still alive and well. And then what if the “old pope” openly contradicts a “new pope” in public (like what happens with the Archbishops of Canterbury). This could only encourage schism.

    John Paul II is really a tremendous gift to the Church. I’ve come to appreciate this more recently with conversations I’ve had with non-Christians. He is well known and well respected by all, and is a great starting point to discussing the Catholic faith with others.

    Good answer on the contraception question too.

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